The Most Excellent Way to Lead / Am I Taking Risks?

The Most Excellent Way To Lead

Day 2 of 7 Am I Taking Risks? Goliath held the Israelites in bondage for 40 days. I am sure they prayed for God to remove the giant. But, it wasn't until David took a risk, walked into the valley, and cut Goliath's head off that people were set free.  Prayer is a good thing! But, every leader will face a point when we have to put our prayers into action.  On August 10, 1999, I was having lunch at Red Lobster with a mentor and discussing with him that I really felt God was stirring me to do something. He looked at me as I was eating a cheese biscuit and asked, "What would you be willing to attempt for God if you knew you could not fail?" Without hesitation, I answered, "I would start a church!" He replied, "You are a coward if you don't!" That one-minute dialog ruined my lunch; seriously, I couldn't eat any more cheese biscuits! I knew he was right. I knew God had told me in 1996 that I would start a church one day. But, I kept making excuses-the first being that I was too young and the second being that I was "praying about it." Anyone can see a problem. It takes a leader to examine why the problem is there and decide what to do about it. Leaders deal with problems; they don't run from them.  Most of the time we want to be like David, but we act like Saul! God put us in positions of leadership to lead. When it comes to leadership, denial leads to disaster.  Leadership means embracing every situation that God sends our way-even the uncomfortable ones. The Lord does not put problems in front of us just so we can "pray them away." Yes, we have to pray. But we must participate with the Lord as well, by becoming the leader He has called us to be.  What's Next: What risk is God calling you to take? Is there a problem you know you need to deal with, but keep putting off? 1 Samuel 17 KJV 1 Now the Philistines gathered together their armies to battle, and were gathered together at Soco, which belongeth to Judah, and pitched between Soco and Azekah, in Ephes–dammim. 2 And Saul and the men of Israel were gathered together, and pitched by the valley of Elah, and set the battle in array against the Philistines. 3 And the Philistines stood on a mountain on the one side, and Israel stood on a mountain on the other side: and there was a valley between them. 4 And there went out a champion out of the camp of the Philistines, named Goliath, of Gath, whose height was six cubits and a span. 5 And he had an helmet of brass upon his head, and he was armed with a coat of mail; and the weight of the coat was five thousand shekels of brass. 6 And he had greaves of brass upon his legs, and a target of brass between his shoulders. 7 And the staff of his spear was like a weaver's beam; and his spear's head weighed six hundred shekels of iron: and one bearing a shield went before him. 8 And he stood and cried unto the armies of Israel, and said unto them, Why are ye come out to set your battle in array? am not I a Philistine, and ye servants to Saul? choose you a man for you, and let him come down to me. 9 If he be able to fight with me, and to kill me, then will we be your servants: but if I prevail against him, and kill him, then shall ye be our servants, and serve us. This chapter has 58 verses This selection continues on YouVersion James 1:5-8 KJV 5 If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him. 6 But let him ask in faith, nothing wavering. For he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed. 7 For let not that man think that he shall receive any thing of the Lord. 8 A double minded man is unstable in all his ways.